Retrospective Look – February 2011

Another month, another monthly post. We’re two-thirds the way through the season now and many shows are approaching their conclusions. There’s a fair bit to look back upon, particularly for the two-cour series, as next month will be mostly final impressions.

Some changes compared to last month is the addition of titles we’ve caught up on and the omission of ones we’ve fallen behind on for whatever reason. Below are the changes for each writer.

Prooof in for Madoka Magica.

Takaii in for Kimi ni Todoke, out for Dragon Crisis.

Kiiragi in for FREEZING, out for Beelzebub, STAR DRIVER, Hourou Musuko.

Me, same as before with my slew of shows.

Note: Once again, please be considerate of others who may be interested in picking up a series after reading about it here by placing discussion of any major spoilers in <spoiler></spoiler> tags. There will be little to no tolerance for anyone intentionally spoiling the enjoyment of others.

Technical Note: Just like the season previews, the list is ordered by the date and time that the shows air. The schedule is intended to give a quick overview of all the shows that at least one writer is watching, and serves as a table of contents to jump to specific entries. In lieu of “Top” links, you can use the back button in your browser to quickly return to the schedule.

Divine: This series is still nothing like I was expecting, and these past two episodes on Kazuki and Homare continue that trend. To its credit, it focuses on each of the characters well, showing the hardships they went through before finding a new meaning in life with their friends at school. It just strikes me as odd when it’s coming from a bunch of pretty looking guys, some of whom are really eccentric and others really whiny. It’s funny, because I’d have no problem watching the same thing with the genders reversed.

BleachEpisodes 307 – 310

Prooof: The series has finally reached the biggest climax yet, and also the conclusion of the long, long war against Aizen. I have to say it was pretty exciting actually, and was definitely better seeing it animated. There’s still a multitude of peeves I have about the various events, the big one being how Aizen is still immortal at this point and could still technically escape from his prison. Whether he does or not though, this series is showing no signs of waning and will probably continue years to come. Unfortunately I am not looking forward to the fillers coming up, nor even the next canon arc and there are no signs of improvement on the horizon.

Rio -RainbowGate!-Episodes 05 – 08

Divine: The introduction of the airheaded android Linda has kept me watching, though it’s mainly to hear a voice I’ve never heard Hikasa Youko use before. Before I knew it, the slew of dumb Gate battle opponents came to a stop, and Rio was faced with more respectively ones care of Cartia. For a show I wasn’t expecting much from, it really surprised me with the recent twist surrounding Rina. I still can’t say I agree with her misguided hatred, but it was played up well enough to become a decent climax to the story.

Kimi ni Todoke 2nd SeasonEpisodes 04 – 07

Divine: Japanese can be easily misunderstood without the proper context, except people normally jump to one conclusion when it comes to confessions. It’s almost as if they’re teasing us by having Sawako and Kazehaya try to advance their relationship, only to wind up setting it further back. I don’t even blame Kento and Kurumi, as their meddling is what actually got those two to act. I have to agree with Ryuu about Sawako being the main problem. In her attempt to not cause any more misunderstandings, she’s causing possibly the biggest one in her life. Intervene already Ayane!

Kiiragi: I never expected this series to pull the worst trope of romances, misunderstandings, but it was used as one of the main plot devices for the lead couple. It was quite the disappointment. However bad it may be, the issue did fit the characters, but one can’t help but feel that something better could have been done. The good thing is that they also don’t dwell on the same problems for episodes on end, and wisely contained the rage well within a single episode. It’s satisfying to know a conclusion will be coming, and I hope they finish the series smoothly.

Takaii: After marathoning the entire first season and all the way up to the current episode, the first words out of my mouth was “What the hell was I thinking when I didn’t pick up this show?” Since I have to talk about what happened in the past month, I’d describe it as wanting to rip my hair out over how dense everyone is. I’m going to use everything I’ve learned in the past three episodes to make sure that when I decide to confess to someone, I’m going to be clear about what I mean. No more of this “My like is different than your like, isn’t it?” Hold on, I feel a brain hemorrhage forming.

Prooof: Considering that most of Kazehaya and Sawako’s close friends know about their feelings for each other, I wish they would just clarify the situation and clear up the constant misunderstanding, but as was pointed out I think Sawako (especially) needs to mature in her own feelings and emotions before she is ready for a relationship. That doesn’t mean it isn’t extremely frustrating to see the two main characters fumble around pathetically — they are so close yet so far. Kent’s actions certainly aren’t helping, though I do feel bad for him since it seems he also has feelings for Sawako. The rage continues, but the balance of light humor and drama and seeing Chi, Ryuu, and other characters is also fun.

Mahou Shoujo Madoka MagicaEpisodes 05 – 08

Divine: As SHAFT continues to rewrite the very definition of “magical girl”, showing that it’s not all it’s made out to be, I don’t mind one bit how we’re two-thirds through the series and Madoka still hasn’t become one. The twists have been great and making examples of Mami and Sayaki has shown the harsh reality of it all. The story’s made it a bit too obvious that Kyuubei’s up to no good, so I’m more curious about Homura and her supposedly future relationship with Madoka. i.e. Did she use her wish to go back in time and prevent Madoka from becoming a magical girl?

Kiiragi: Ah, Sayaka, Sayaka, Sayaka. If there’s a show that has delivered hard this season, it’s this. The episodes reveal something every time, new characters are shown, and things are constantly developed; the show is very comfortable with where it’s going. It’s not perfect though, as Sayaka’s development was a tad predictable, but it was still very well executed. Madoka revels in twists, and with only five episodes left, it’s slowly reaching the start of the climax. I’ve enjoyed it so far, but the last stretch is where it really counts. Will it disappoint and fade into mediocrity as wasted potential? Or will it blow the minds of many and become an instant classic? It’s a damn shame these kind of series are THAT rare. Anime industry’s gotta step it up.

Takaii: You want a show that will shatter any expectations that you have for it? Madoka is that show. Characters are disappearing left and right. After Mami’s sudden departure, I wouldn’t have been blown away if Sayaka were to die (as so many of you seemed to want). But to watch Sayaka try to deal with the pressure of being a guardian of the world and losing something she holds dear to her, I swear this show manages to effectively hit a different emotion every single time.

Prooof: Madoka Magica is certainly one of the most engrossing series I’ve watched in a while. The constant twists, multifaceted characters, and unique art keep me coming back for more. All the characters are interesting, and I don’t hate Kyuubei as he’s an awesome villain; although he is pretty evil I’m hoping for some utilitarian ideals behind his actions. That doesn’t stop me from wishing Homura would kill him a few more times, and I honestly don’t know why she doesn’t. I think her attempts will be in vain though as Madoka is very likely to become a Mahou Shoujo, possibly ending in disaster as Mami and Sayaka did(?). Anything could happen, but for some reason I find myself rooting for a bad end.

IS Infinite StratosEpisodes 05 – 08

Divine: There are advantages to being introduced later, as Charles and Laura’s arrival at IS Academy has quickly made the other girls regress to being helplessly in love. Charles has been a real treat given her immediate chemistry with Ichika, whereas Laura served as a nice thorn in everyone’s side until the most recent episode. Overshadowed is the unknown IS threat from before, which I’d imagine will change now that the entire cast is assembled on “good” terms. The Valkyrie Trace System put a new spin on things, and there’s still Houki’s personal IS to look forward to.

Takaii: I never expected this show to become one of my favorites, but boy did it happen fast. At the moment, Charlotte has captured my heart. Sure there’s a harem hand full of girls to pick from, but something about her makes her number one. From her voice, to her mannerisms, to her teamwork skills, to her sneak attack in a huge bathtub, I love everything about her. Changing gears to the IS, I’ve been happy with everything that I’ve seen so far. Nothing too crazy and nothing too ridiculous — because everyone else is just as crazy as the person next to them!

Yumekui MerryEpisodes 05 – 08

Divine: Our show about Dream Demons meandered for a while, focusing on Merry’s naivety about the real world, but it’s been coming together lately with Chaser’s explanation of what’s going on, Engi’s pursuit of Elcres, and Mystletainn’s indiscriminant rampage. The downside is that there isn’t much Yumeji and Merry can do other than wait for demons to come to them, so it’s been hard to get fully absorbed in the story. I do like the character interactions though, particularly the ones surrounding Isana and Chizuru. Just like before, I’m still curious what sort of role the latter will have in all this.

Kiiragi: I’ve really said all that needs to be said in the latest impression of the series. The show’s pacing is redundant, extremely slow, and still somehow dicking around this late into the season. I don’t mind shows that have poor storytelling or execution, because at least you have something to work with yourself. When you’ve only got a barebone plot, it won’t matter how good your show looks, because it’s going to be boring. What you end up with is a cast of great characters trapped in a story that barely uses them to their potential. JC Staff’s also doing their trademark crappy original ending to the show. So let me get this straight, they took the slow beginnings of a manga that supposedly gets better later on, decide not to adapt said better parts, and then slap on an original ending based on said slow parts? Who the hell thought that was a good idea?

Takaii: As I’ve said before, I don’t normally read the manga for an anime that I’m watching. From what I can piece together in the comments in Kiiragi’s posts, I’m extra glad that I’m not reading the manga for this show. Besides wanting more awesome dream battles, like the ones back in episode one, I think this show is a fun watch. I don’t see anything blatantly wrong with the story nor the characters. Merry and her love for donuts is enough for me to keep watching. But for those who aren’t satisfied with adorable faces, I’m hoping that Engi’s involvement with dream demons helps propel the story even further. I also think that Yui is cute.

WolverineEpisodes 05 – 08

Divine: The change of setting to Madripoor provided a nice visual cue of Logan taking the fight to Shingen and Kurohagi and came with a sneak peek of next season’s X-Men anime when Cyclops arrived in the Blackbird to take him there. The added bonus is that Wolverine can let loose in the crime-ridden Lowtown, except when he was up against a gigantic statue named Vadhaka. Yukio’s backstory was foreshadowed a fair bit and gave some more depth to her character, while the overall plot to save Mariko remains fairly straightforward. However, the gritty action in a good MADHOUSE production makes it all fun to watch.

To Aru Majutsu no Index IIEpisodes 17 – 20

Divine: Starting with the new opening sequence, this series has pulled a complete reversal from the previous two arcs and brought out everything that I like about it in droves. High production values, a diverse cast of characters, and a balanced magic/science story that doesn’t rely heavily on exposition. Both Touma and Accelerator are at the forefront of this most recent arc, and Mikoto, Kuroko, and the Sisters look like they’ll be joining the fray as well. Academy City is at risk from Vento, while Kihara and his Hound Dogs remain a thorn in Accelerator’s side. Definitely finale worthy material.

Kiiragi: The recent arc embodies exactly what kept me marathoning the first season, but just when the series is finally getting good again, it’s about to end. I’m laughing, because almost all the arcs this season except for the first couple have been absolutely atrocious. They ruined characters, screwed up plot continuities, had questionable actions taken, and pretty much made the Index series something I couldn’t take very seriously anymore. Personally, I’m just going to ignore all the previous arcs and pretend it was just a bad part of the series in general, and hope they make a season three and continue on to what has made the light novel series so popular.

GOSICKEpisodes 05 – 08

Divine: The feverish start has settled down and in its wake, I’m a bit disappointed about Toyoguchi Megumi giving way to Shitaya Noriko as Avril, and how Avril herself was brushed aside the very next arc. In her place, the story addressed Victorique’s past with her mother Cordelia much sooner than I thought it would, and even made a pivotal part of it going forward. It’s a welcomed development, much like how Kuzuya’s relationship with Victorique has become something that transcends fleeting feelings of romance. The interactions between those two are the highlight of the series for me, as they continue to get caught up in more murder mysteries.

Kiiragi: The latest arc delves into Victorique’s past, your typical fare for developing main characters before moving on with deeper material. The mystery aspect, while a lot better constructed than the first few, still lacks much of the oomph found in relatively better detective stories. I stand by the idea to watch GOSICK for the characters first, and the mystery last. Neither aspect is top notch writing by any means, but are well done in their own right, and in the recent arc, come together to create some needed foreshadowing. Watching Victorique’s antics is a joy of its own, and with some rather peculiar antagonists, I’m expecting a rather solid storyline for our duo.

Takaii: I have a burning passion for mystery shows that are done well. Throw in a tsundere who’s a freaking genius and knows exactly when to drop her cold façade and you have me hook, line, and sinker. Yuuki Aoi’s portrayal of Victorique took a while to grow on me, but after hearing that adorable laugh and watching her true emotions leak out, I need more. You can’t forget Kujou either — his attitude perfectly complements Victorique. While I don’t normally enjoy weak male leads, Kujou’s honesty, ability to handle Victorique’s personality, and his “never back down” attitude when Victoria’s in danger has won me over.

FREEZINGEpisodes 05 – 08

Divine: It’s a shame this show is aired in 4:3 on AT-X, given how much better it looks on other stations. While that didn’t ruin my enjoyment of Rana joining the cast and spicing things up with Satellizer and the third-years, the staggering difference does make me want to re-watch it all on Blu-ray. I do wish they’d tone down on the anime-added fan-service, as some people become closed-minded when it’s excessive. Episode seven was one of the best showings, touching upon Satellizer’s past and explained how she became known as the Untouchable Queen. It also marked the end of the hazing, shifting the focus to East Genetics and the looming Nova threat. I’m looking forward to seeing all the Pandora fight on the same side for a change.

Kiiragi: Before things got too stale, Rana Linchen is brought in effectively to create a “love” triangle, but mostly as a catalyst to force the passive Satellizer to make a move on Kazuya. Of course, everyone else has some sort of plan to make life miserable for Satellizer and co., and fighting ensues. If you haven’t seen FREEZING by now, it’s only more of the same. It’s been steadily developing its plot, and moving with remarkable speed through the manga, which as I’ve said with GOSICK, can only be a good thing for a non-reader like me. I generally ignore the fact that almost all the females are bitches, and just enjoy girls using crazy powers tearing each other up with some rather nice animation. If the animation weren’t as good as it is, I’d have dropped the show a while back.

Bakuman.Episodes 18 – 21

Takaii: Are you watching this show? Are you one of those manga readers who hate on this show? While it doesn’t matter which category you fall in, I think this past month has been redemption for this show. As I’ve said in my posts, Bakuman is great for always trying to spice things up. Either through plot twists or changing the focus of where it draws the viewer’s attention — some kind of change keeps making me come back for more. Something about watching two friends grow up together, deal with real life problems, and still manage to stick through it all?

Tegami Bachi REVERSEEpisodes 18 – 21

Divine: With the hunt for Cabernet shaping out to be the climax of this sequel and Noir conflicted over Reverse’s radical plans, all eyes are on what the ex-Bee will do in the upcoming episodes. Unlike the first season, this continuation has been building upon the main storyline week after week with Lag, Zazie, and Connor as the driving factors. The change has worked well in giving this unassuming series an almost epic feel, especially with the way Amberground is shrouded in darkness, both literally and metaphorically. Seeing the fate of all the failed experiments cast an even darker shadow on things, which Lag will hopefully shed some light on with his Akabari shindan.

Divine: Last month was all about Iroha, whereas now it’s nothing but class president Mayuka making a pet of Shuusuke to very dire BL results. More so than how Shuusuke been traumatized by homosexual books, Mayuka’s involvement has prompted some hilarious reactions out of Nao and Iroha. The fearsomeness of black stockings should not be underestimated it seems, much like those two have learned. Shuusuke’s generally strung along while the girls’ reactions drive most of the humor, but him and his fellow A.G.E. boys stepped up in that department during their trip to Akihabara. This show has been about sexual jokes rather than fan-service, so if you’re open-minded about that, it’s worth a peek (no, not upskirt).

Kiiragi: I wouldn’t exactly recommend this series, as it’s incredibly perverted, and much of the show revolves around such perversion. If that sounds fine and dandy, then it’s rather entertaining. It’s not great by any means, and the jokes are hit and miss at times, but the recent addition of the class rep gave the later episodes more life. The situations are always changed up, and make it fun to see what could happen next. If you’re perverted (or basically just a person with a Y chromosome), you’ll probably like it. But just remember, the moon is watching.

Takaii: I remember talking to Divine about this show and going “Oh! It’s not really incest, so that makes it okay to watch.” Since that time, I never expected this show to be one of the funniest things I’ve watched in a while. If I were to say who was my favorite, Kondou and Nao would be on top — something about Kondou innocent charm and black pantsu just keep my eyes drawn to her and Nao is just damn fun to watch. At the same time while I’m not fond of Shuusuke’s always horny attitude, I wouldn’t mind having some of his skills. His ultra rapid eye peek seems like something that’d be useful in certain situations ;)

Mitsudomoe Zouryouchuu!Episodes 05 – 08 (END)

Divine: Eight episodes don’t feel like they’re enough, even with the bonus from season one thrown in. The most refreshing aspect of this sequel has been the new jokes that even got all the parents involved. Mitsuba’s baby fat was a bit overused, but still led to a bunch of quirky scenarios at her expense. Hitoha’s soft cheeks and knack for hiding under desks were some of my favorite moments, while Kaieda-sensei disdain for Yabecchi’s class amused me to no end. Chiba and Sugisaki were right up there too, thanks to all the character nuances established in the original season. I wouldn’t say Zouryoushuu was as funny, but it did provide more of the sixth grade wackiness that comprised my favorite comedy of 2010.

Takaii: Hitoha, Futaba, and Mitsuba — you will always be my favorite set of triplets. Ever. From the jokes, to the misunderstandings, to Yabecchi just being Yabecchi, I can’t believe that the second season has already come to a close. I’m going to miss Sugisaki trying to snap pictures of Mitsuba, Yoshioka and her awesome eyebrows, Miyashita and her failed attempts to befriend Hitoha, Chiba and his super secret moves, and Satou and his innocence getting the better of him. Soujirou, don’t you ever stop being such an awesome father! Don’t let those damn police officers get the best of you. Hitoha’s awesome book, Futaba’s insane strength, and Mitsuba’s random acts of humility — I can’t believe it’s all over. This bonus episode better be awesome.

BeelzebubEpisodes 05 – 08

Divine: I’ve decided that I’ll continue watching Beelzebub for Kunieda Aoi after hearing how Toyosaki Aki voices her. Her character has been my main motivating factor for following this shounen anime, and she’s turned out to be everything I was hoping for. The misunderstandings from Oga’s attempt to pass off Beel to her quickly turned this into a romantic comedy, which the Queen of Ishiyama’s flustered reactions helped put into full swing. While I still don’t find the delinquent or demon baby humor overly hilarious, Aoi and the distinctly different voice Aki plays her with more than make up for it. It’s probably not the best reason to keep watching, but it’s enough for me when Hilda and Furuichi are thrown into the mix.

STAR DRIVER Kagayaki no TakutoEpisodes 18 – 21

Divine: It’s taken some time for this original series to start showing its potential, but it’s done just that with the backstory on Reiji, Ryuousuke, and Takuto’s mother, Sora. Keito has also drawn a lot of attention with her late night visits to the Shindou household and secret pop idol performances, and has become an uncertain factor in the overall plot. The main love triangle has finally picked up steam, gaining some ground on the Zero Time side of things where Kou and Madoka have become absolute catalysts. They’ve turned the island into their personal playground and seized dominance over all the other Star Drivers, forcing Takuto into situations he’s never faced before. At this point, I’m just hoping all the Cybody stuff ends with a Samekh bang.

Takaii: Ever since the third phase was unlocked, it feels like the formula for each episode has changed a little bit. While I’m slowly starting to grow weary of watching Takuto turn into a human missile, I’m happy that things outside of Zero Time seem to be progressing nicely. Something I wasn’t expecting was how much I’d grow to like the east maiden. At first, I didn’t like Keito but for reasons I can’t even understand, but she’s growing on me.

Super Robot Wars OG: The InspectorEpisodes 18 – 21

Divine: There’s been no shortage of big developments in the war to protect Earth, as the conclusion to Operation Plantagenet left the EFA with some heavy losses, including Excellen who’s been brainwashed by Alfimi. We also saw the manifestation of the super robot RyuKoOh/KoRyuOh and two of my long-awaited moments — saving Seolla and exacting revenge on Archibald. In short, the Twin Bird Strike, plus some more ass-kicking care of the SRX Team and Dygenguar/Aussenseitter duo. Once the Neo DC remnants are dealt with, Shadow-Mirror and the Inspectors are likely follow suit before the EFA goes all out against the Einst. It’s been a bit of a mess with all the different factions, but the story is finally coming together around who the ultimate threat is. As an SRW fan, I’m pretty happy with how this adaptation’s turned out.

Dragon Crisis!Episodes 05 – 08

Divine: This show has managed to avoid falling into a formulaic romantic comedy pattern with its various arcs, and Marga’s one worked well in developing Ryuuji’s relationship with Rose while pressuring Misaki to pursue her unrequited love. I enjoyed Horie Yui in a soft-spoken role and was impressed by how George wasn’t simply a one-dimensional throwaway character. The subsequent arc with Ai has been my favorite thus far, due to how emotional it got at one point from Ryuuji’s earnest desire to help her. It walked a fine line between coming off as cheesy or overdramatic and pulled it off, so it was sad to see that Ai didn’t join the regular cast. I hope to see more of her character and not just for the stuff that went on in the bedroom with Eriko.

Kore wa Zombie Desu ka?Episodes 05 – 08

Divine: Tomonori! Every time she ends a sentence with “-nai ka?” I hear a little bit of Kanemoto Hisako’s Ika Musume voice. While her introduction feels a bit late, her earnest desire to become Ayumu’s wife has made it well worth the wait. She’s like his gleam of hope in light of all the mistreatment he gets from the other girls, so it’s a waste he doesn’t see the sporty tomboy like I do, “hadaka apron” and all. “Yuki’s” stirred things up a fair bit, namely with Haruna, and there’s still the mysterious King of the Night roaming about. This series doesn’t seem to be short of witty humor and cheap laughs, but its seamless switchover to a semi-serious bloody side is what makes it stand out (e.g. Kyouko). What’s been equally impressive is Studio DEEN, whose work this season has improved my opinion about the studio as a whole.

Kiiragi: Based on a novel, Studio Deen can’t take all the credit for making each episode as interesting as the last. However, with Deen’s track record, this show is quite amazing in comparison. Well no, this show is amazing period. Tasteful fanservice, overarching plot, seriously epic fights, absolutely gripping emotional moments, and these are no understatements. This show has it all, and I’m stupidly curious how the hell that’s even possible. None of what makes the core of this show SHOULD work, but by some miracle, it’s like the best of multiple genres mashed into one. You’ve got romance, action, harem, ecchi, school life, mystery, and who knows what else in the final run? Second season please.

Takaii: Harem power. With the number of girls growing every single episode, I’m not sure who I’m supposed to root for anymore. From my perspective, I really like Yuki right now — probably because of her short blonde hair. With the past few weeks being more slice of life oriented, I’m totally pumped for what I’m assuming is an upcoming battle. With people like Dai-sensei and the ultimate evil floating around, I can’t wait to see just how epic these battles can get. But you want to know what takes the cake? Watching dirty jellyfish accidentally fondle a man.

LEVEL EEpisodes 05 – 08

Divine: After the one-off fourth episode, I was expecting the same with the Color Rangers, only to find out that Ouji trolled me for three full episodes. I actually didn’t mind one bit, since it was same type of deadpan humor with an RPG change of scenery. Watching the kids flip out was almost as good as Yukitaka’s livid outbursts, and the brief moments where Kraft was dragged into it were golden. I’m just amazed the producers decided to devote three weeks to it, since the start of the current arc with Princess Saki has been absolutely hilarious. I attribute that to Koyasu Takehito being a complete riot in comedic roles, which episode eight was a perfect example of. I had to pause some scenes to regain my composure from laughing too much at his attempts to save Earth from imminent doom. Great stuff.

Kiiragi: Level E can aptly be named, “The Amusements of Prince Baka,” because that’s really all it is. Instead of a single coherent storyline, we’re treated to arcs of random ones that eventually reveal to being set up purely to amuse Prince Baka, making the series almost a repetition of trolls created by the Baka himself. Hilarity, of course, ensues. The Color Rangers arc started off a bit boring, and it wasn’t too funny, but it became much better in the last few episodes. The new arc doesn’t seem like it involves Prince Baka, since it’s hard to tell with only one episode, but it’s been just as hilarious. Kraft is just as funny as Yukitaka, but I miss them as well. Hopefully they make an appearance before the finale.

FRACTALEEpisodes 04 – 06

Divine: Aligning one’s expectations undoubtedly has a direct effect on their enjoyment, as I’ve found all the character interactions between Clain, Nessa, Phryne, and the Granites family pretty entertaining. While the seriousness seems to come and go, it recently made a return with the introduction of Dias and his Alabaster faction. In conjunction with all the developments surrounding Clain and a man who appears to be his father, there’s enough of an adventure here to keep me captivated. The fate of the Fractale System is still in the air as our protagonists seek to tear it down, and Phryne seems like she knows something more about its inner workings. She’s been my favorite character to watch, thanks to her spunky tomboy attitude.

Kiiragi: I wasn’t being too serious when I said the show was starting to be like Eureka Seven, but it really did end up that way. It’s not nearly as annoying as what Renton had to go through, but Clain still gets picked on. The show has shifted to developing more of the supporting characters, while showcasing “life” as a radical, and in the recent episode, stragglers banned from Fractale. I enjoyed episode six a lot, since it dealt with a personal issue of Clain’s rather cleverly, and left it open to possibly answer later on. There’s nothing “mind-blowing” about Fractale still, and without bias, I’d say it’s only a notch above mediocre at this point. I just expected a LOT more from what Yamakan hyped at this point, but we just aren’t getting it. Though with bias, I’d put it several notches above mediocre. It’s just a fun show, and the main three are a joy to watch.

Takaii: Whoa. Did I see people dying from getting shot at by guns? Real Guns? While I thought this whole “Fractale” system was interesting enough in itself, I never expected an even deeper level of meaning to come from it. The ideals of family, the problems living within a Utopia, the problems with people fed up with said Utopia – there are so many different points that I don’t even know which one to talk about! Plus, don’t get me started with how much foreshadowing occurs at times. I hope I wasn’t the only one who’s jaw hit the floor when the old camera man seemed to be Clain’s dad.

Hourou MusukoEpisodes 04 – 06

Divine: The gender-swapped Romeo & Juliet play went off without a hitch, albeit not with the leading actor/actress I was anticipating. I do like how it broke away from the obvious Shuuichi/Yoshino pairing though. With their gender frustration downplayed a tad, Saori’s own discontent has made her one of the most interesting characters to watch. Likewise with Anna, who has a brash side that I like and seems to have an interest in Shuuichi. I don’t deny being a bit biased towards those two because Nanri Yuuka and Horie Yui voice them, since I have a soft spot for Chi’s energetic personality because of Chiba Saeko too. Regardless, they’re outside presences that may make Yoshino think twice about Shuuichi, which I’d personally like to see.

Takaii: Unlike a few people I know, the whole aspect of becoming a transgender doesn’t really bother me. While the focus hasn’t been on Nitori and Takatsuki for the past few episodes, I’ve really enjoyed watching the other characters get a little bit of the limelight. At the moment, I’m looking forward to finding out what Sarashina and Sasa-chan are all about. Sarashina’s crazy attitude and Sasa-chan’s happy personality contrast off of the rest of the cast pretty well –something which piques my interest in them. (Chiba Saeko being Sarashina’s seiyuu has absolutely nothing to do with my liking her either >_>)

Prooof: This drama still continues to go at a pretty slow pace, but by no means is it boring. It seems pretty slice-of-life, without a clear plot direction, and the story seems to mostly follow the activities of the characters, centered around events like the gender bender play. It is an uncomfortable subject given society’s strong expectations of gender roles, and while I could continue the discussion in detail, it would be to no end. It’s hard to tell where the series will be going next, but it’s possible that the romantic pairings will start to shift around. I’m down for more character development too, as the complex characters are one of the best parts of the series, plus the quirky moments that make me smile.

“I’ve decided that I’ll continue watching Beelzebub for Kunieda Aoi after hearing how Toyosaki Aki voices her. Her character has been my main motivating factor for following this shounen anime, and she’s turned out to be everything I was hoping for.”

Thanks for sharing this in the IRC Divine. I’m completely hooked with this voice work of hers.

I must agree. She really surprised me with her rendition of Aoi. I initially cringed at the thought of her suddenly being voiced as Hirasawa Yui, but the voice is actually refreshing. Kind of like Hikasa Youko as Linda in Rio Rainbow Gate. A familiar voice in a completely unexpected tone.

Charlotte is the audience grabber in the series. It’s a shame she stopped pretending as a guy. She would have more moments with Ichika if she where dressed as a guy, and I bet almost everyone would agree.

If there’s one thing I love about RC, it’s that you guys don’t hate on those ‘generic harem shows’ like most ‘professional anime communities’ do. They annoy me just as much as fundamentalist Christians and diehard Atheists. I’m enjoying Infinite Stratos immensely and I’m proud of it!

Index is looking good (after a season of bad expositions) I really hope there is a season 3, the rest of the novel material looks pretty epic starting from this arc. Zombie is turning out to be a real pleasure to watch, GoSick is wonderful. This season has been good.

It may surprise a lot of people, but IS is really high and shared top post of the month with Oreimo at over 17k views. Episode 6 and 12 “true route” respectively.

Bleach, Index, IS, Madoka, Zombie, STAR DRIVER, FREEZING, and FRACTALE all average over 10k and roughly in that order. It’s noticeably different from what comment counts indicate, with Madoka generating the most buzz by a large margin.

Merry, SRWOG, Kimi ni Todoke, Mitsudomoe, GOSICK, Bakuman, Tegami Bachi, and Hourou Musuko fall into the sub-10k category (again, roughly in that declining order), ranging from 6000-9000 page views per post, and could be considered the less popular shows.

You know what would be cool? Some sort of graphical representation of data showing how many pageviews a series gets. It could be dynamic-ish, and would give us a good “instant snapshot” of the current popularity of the series on the site.

Of course, I can immediately see the downside to this (idiots gaming the system), but it would be cool nonetheless to see this kind of data in a richer format every now and then.

Comment voting system I won’t be doing until there’s a reliable plug-in out there that I can tweak. Some people didn’t like the idea that what they said would be up for criticism either, even though they have no problem critiquing the writers.

A poll every episode is just more overhead that adds really little value. I don’t plan to do this, given that there would be in excess of 15 polls running every week.

That may sound simple enough, but it coincides with getting a season preview out and a very busy first couple of weeks with the premiere of all the shows, so there’s no way I’m going to bite off more than I can chew. Going through that once a year is enough with the year-end post.

I could be wrong, but I think the high view count for IS may also be misleading in of itself. Consider this: Random Curiosity always puts out a metric crapton of HD screencaps for each covered EP. Then consider that IS has a ton of fanservice and is considered one of the season’s most popular shows. Since the 6 screens on the main page may not always be the ZOMG ones, you get tons of views from people cycling through the screencaps to find the nice ones.

Similarly, the Madoka comment statistic is also misleading. Just going back to IS for a second, there isn’t *that* much to discuss, so there are fewer comments. Heck, most of the comments are similar to “*insert person here* is mai waifu”. By comparison, there is a LOT to discuss with Madoka, and a lot of it comprises of things like moral arguments over Kyuubey, theorycrafting, etc which inherently generates more comments due to the back-and-forth.

I already ran that poll at the start of the season. IS came out on top so there should be a good amount of people watching.

None of the other IS posts were that high, but they still average 11k views, which on RC is considered a “popular” series.

As for Madoka, keep in mind it’s generally the same people doing a lot of the talking when a discussion takes place. Of the unique visitors the site receives, less than 2% actually comment, so that’s not a really good indicator either.

I think what we should also include to complement the ‘anime preview polls’ is a ‘season ending polls’ their it will provide a good basis on how a series really fair in the season,, because the anime preview polls basically asked what anime viewers are most excited to watch, but a season ending polls will hold much weight because the viewers will be voting based on the actual content of the series. I think its a better metric in weighing what series really make an impact in a season.

PS. correct me if i am wrong, i think we already have a season ending polls or is that yearly polls?

like I said, for the pictures of fanservice or mecha. madoka magica may have unique art style but if you want to look at something nice well…

and that poll was made a few months ago, people will rarely go back and vote for it, some might even forget it, and they already voted anyway so almost useless to go back to try change it unless your really that much obsessed to make the show popular, it wouldnt really make a difference now anyway since its months ago.

@amado: I think you’re overlooking that the poll’s already closed. Those are the results. It was held before the start of the season to get a feel for anticipation going into a season.

@Ghostalker: We have only done year-end polls. I question how meaningful postseason polls would be, given that the vast majority of people would have a very narrow selection of titles to vote on. i.e. If you only watched two shows in a given season and I let you pick your top 3, it’s moot.

You could argue what people chose to watch is meaningful in its own right, even if they didn’t make time to check out other good series, but I can foresee heavily skewed results for that reason.

Ultimately, it’s extra work for me, so I feel a year-end poll is already enough given how much time it takes to prepare. It also makes people really think about their choices since they’ll have a lot more shows they’ve seen to choose from.

I don’t even want to think about prepping 3 polls every December. One for preseason, one for postseason, and one for year-end.

I get what you mean about the number of shows people watch. ive been meaning to watch level E but due to school and stuff, im stuck with madoka, merry, IS, star driver, kore wa zombie and index.
sigh, the poll is not an option huh. well the way you designed random curiosity is still great so its already fine. at least madoka is getting popular.

just to continue a bit on IS, its because lots of people can like it even if its not really epic or such. mecha for fights and action, harem for girls and romance even if its seen a lot of times before. there are also people who are new to the anime so its logical to go for the “usual” before they start to get interested into more unique ones when it gets repetitive.

My current favorites for this season include: SWROG2, Star Driver, Madoka, Level E and Hourou Musuko. I even just read through the manga for Hourou Musuko. Sadly, I dropped Beezelbub and Bakuman since the manga did it more for me. Index is a nicely animated series, but lacking in story development which I fill in by reading the novel. All the other series I kind of follow just out of habit.

Also, I just watched Durarara 25, would you guys blog on it? I’m still kind of keeping my fingers crossed for another Baccano season. ^^;;

If you like the Aoi scenes, Divine, then you should definitely check out the Beelzebub OVA. The same first “fight” between them was much better executed in the OVA imo, though sadly it’s shorter and only had a couple “bakas” from Aoi instead of the string of “bakas.”

good times :) after reading the post, it made me remembered a lot of the enjoyment I had from watching anime thins past month, thanks for the thoughts, guys :)
“I am rooting for a bad end” – no matter how I look at it, I feel that Madoka will end on some sort of bad end.
and IS is now one of my favorite harem series :)

@Gen: yeah, I agree with you completely about Index. I mean, the balance between actions and dialogue this past few episodes is what hook me up into Index first season. I hope they can keep on going on like this.

I have never thought that I would one day enjoy an anime with the protagonist wears girl’s skirts, ribbons and all that cutie stuff but Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka gives me a rude awakening. Another season please!

“[The first few arcs of Index II] ruined characters, screwed up plot continuities, had questionable actions taken, and pretty much made the Index series something I couldn’t take very seriously anymore.”

Dude, that shit is waaaaaay to complicated for me to keep track of to a T. I just watch for the pretty effects, the moe Misaka’s (hot mom, Sisters, and Last Order included) and the vague allusions to Christianity.

I’m surprised this season is full of such awesome. Can’t put a clear #1 yet but prob top 3 as Madoka, Zombie, and Index for me. Gosick and Freezing as close 4/5 with honorable mentions to Level E and Merry.

Let’s see I have been watching Bleach, Starry Sky, Kimi ni Todoke, & Tegami Bachi Reverse. My surprised pick-ups during the middle of winter season were Kore wa Zombie Desu ka?, Level E, & Beelzebub.
Well, Bleach has reached its peak for me now after the arrancar saga has ended. Only complaint about Starry Sky for me is that each episode is too short. Kimi ni Todoke is the BEST!! Tegami Bachi has given me Gauche/Noir (an interesting character).
I was surprised with the last three anime because I didn’t expect it was so hilarious given that there were zombies, aliens, and demon babes. LOL
Not a bad year. ^_^

Last retrospective look convinced me to watch Level E and this one convinced me to watch Madoka. Well, I’m basically watching all of the shows this season now. I’m really surprised that Madoka was enjoyed this much. Even though I usually enjoy weird animes like Madoka, I didn’t really like it after watching the first two episodes, so I decided to drop it.

So far, my favorite anime this season would be Fractale. It used to be Kore wa Zombie, but it feels like it’s getting worse with every episode.

I couldn’t resist after you said you dropped it at episode 2. Try watching episode 3 and then dropping it after. Admittedly, I’m not one of the ones that loved episode 3 – I liked it since episode 1 – but apparently many people were hooked after that episode.

“Divine: Japanese can be easily misunderstood without the proper context”….I’ve always had a BIG PROBLEM with anime “confessions” i mean ….”I LIKE YOU”…is it??? but alot of times the put “I LOVE YOU”…yeah, its probably mostly a a fan subbing issue but come on! do confessions really come out like that in japan??? color me ignorant.. hey Divine ..dude stand PROUD, cuz u must be one of the few who actually watch that beelzebore. and no more One Piece KIIRAGI??? too bad

I read the bleach posts so that I don’t have to watch it haha XD, I watched it after the last arc ended though, you guys are awesome, covering so many shows. The only thing is most shows still sound not too bad coming out of your reviews so it’s hard to pick what show to add on to the current ones I’m watching.

“This show has it all, and I’m stupidly curious how the hell that’s even possible. None of what makes the core of this show SHOULD work, but by some miracle, it’s like the best of multiple genres mashed into one. You’ve got romance, action, harem, ecchi, school life, mystery, and who knows what else in the final run? Second season please.”

LOL
You got horror and gore as well and it still works!!! XD
KwZ is the best anime this season, i’m amazed at it, and DEEN has done an amazing job as well.
I just hope they will finish the job, and not make an anime ending…

Wow! A gigantic post again. I really like to appreciate people who do things with passion, and the writers here in RC so far made me believe they are like that. As a person whose primary past time is to watch anime in the last 20+ years, I watch anime with such excitement and love that seems to never lessen, other hobbies and likes come and go but this do not, even when I’m already the work force, I always made sure to have time for this great pleasure of mine. So for the people here at random curiosity I thank you all for this great effort! To fellow viewers I hope we never get afraid of expressing our opinions, whether you are praised or ridiculed, what matters most is that we express our opinions, just never forget to be sensitive of others. Ahh, such a corny pose from me :)

As for the 2nd retrospective look of 2011, I quite happy with the fact that a lot of people speak highly of Madoka, now that we are in the final weeks before its ending, I can now say, its the moment of truth (at least for me) — will it end cementing its legacy as one of the best series produce yet or will it go the other way around. I’m pretty nervous myself, looking closely in my MyAnimeList, their are only few that I rated really high, will it be one of those? At least I guarantee myself that regardless of the ending, the lowest score I can give is 9.

As for the other series, Kore wa Zombie De suka? and Star driver is in the not so distant second, while IS, Gosick, KnT, Fractale are 3rd placers. While Yumekui Merry and Dragon Crisis are 4th and 5th placers respectively. The best season for me so far in the last 5-6 years of living in the net.

I’ll like to add that their are still a lot of series that I would really want to watch this Winter 2011 season, but with the number of series I’ve already been watching both present and past, I would wait for those series to finish before I pick them up (shows like Onii-chan, and level E, etc).

The thing about Index is that the light novel writer only got better at the series by Volume 12-13, which is what’s being covered by the current arc. I just hope for a third season because the volumes after 13 are about just as good, or maybe better.

the shows i’m watching right now and Madoka had become an instant favorite, definitely one of the best anime ever made for me, combining Shinbo, Gen, and Kajiura is a very good move, along with the most artistic studio SHAFT, everything is perfect, as for Gosick, well the mystery, even though it’s not shocking and elaborate still has this different feel for me, maybe because of the setting w/c is done greatly by BONES consistent high quality animations
and Victorica and Kujo is so fun to watch, and i’m liking Glaviel also. ^^

madoka is definitely the best imo this season. I originally decided to watch it for potential yuri and because SHAFT was doing it. now, while there are little signs of yuri apart from homura, its my favorite this season. keeps giving surprises twists and engrossing plot.

merry’s not going on a good note. in fact, its clear that they’ll miss the good parts where the action finally kicks in. from how many ep left, the big bad will show up ep 10 or 11, maybe even on the last ep, or he wont even show up. if they want it to be a good anime, they should have had a 2 coure or cut some of those eps earlier.

^is probably the only guy who actually likes Ichika as a main character. He isn’t uber horny, has some skills (if I read LN details correctly), and I love it when his harem struggles to get his attention.

This anime season is awesome. My only gripe is that the shows I watch are not spread out properly. SRWOG on Monday, Level E/Zombie on Wednesday, and Infinite Stratos on Friday. Yeah, my weekends pretty dead anime-wise.

Also looking forward to the third episode of Gundam Unicorn this month.

I have to start watching star driver, waiting for uncen versions of onii chan no koto,finish yumekui merry and gosick later, never watch rio rainbow gate again unless there is seikon no qwaser level fanservice in later eps, I watch bleach dubs, I’ll start madoka again when sayaka and mami come back, start mistudomoe later, infinite stratos is good despite being very clique and hoping dvd versions show us nude Charlotte and not scenery, have to start the first tegami bachi, hope there will be to aru ovas that animate the next two arcs so I can see Seiri and Itsuwa fanservice.
presently watching infinite stratos,niju menso no musume,the third dub,kaze no stigma dub,freezing,fairy tail,naruto shippuden dub 69 and sub 200, one piece dub and sub, fullmetal alchemist brotherhood dub.
just finished eden of the east dub,the sacred blacksmith dub, lucky star dub and ova, pani poni dash dub and ova.

Just wanted to say how awesome it is for you guys to do this. I was a little worried the times when Randomc could possibly disappear with the loss of Omni, but the site has really grown and become a delight to check out.

It’s been a good season for anime so far. Might consider watching FRACTALE and Madoka; just picked up Freezing since Kana is really growing on me as a seiyuu.
Also, Divine, I notice the majority of screencaps are focused in a certain way… not complaining. =)

My God it still amazes me you guys are still praising the worse overratted show of the season. Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica. This show complete shit and it’s plot has so many holes even Swiss cheese could hold more air. The characters are shallow and the story line sufferers repeatedly from lack of material: and it just gets worse as it goes along. I don’t care if the girls can die or get turned into monsters, this series’s lack of plot and character acting kills it. SHAFT has failed again.

The only reason why you people are still watching it becasue you just want to see who gets killed next. My God how shallow can you people be?

and the anime lacks plot!? clearly you’ve only watched Dragonball since childhood, have you ever heard of Character-driven plot!? and how come it lacks material, it’s an anime original, it isn’t an adaptation. And by far, the characters have the most genuine personality i’ve seen since FMA and Durarara! last year.

and look at Durarara! or even Baccano! from the former years, those are the kind of shows that should be airing this days, artistic, INTELLIGENTLY WRITTEN or clearly said MASTERPIECE, not some nonsense and fanservice full of shit. and Madoka is like those that are really really “RARE” to find.

It’s show that deals with human emotions and psychological aspect of being human and how an entity like “Kyubey” can manipulate the entire system by which God has created. can’t understand can’t you?

your mind is too shallow for shows like Madoka that all i can recommend to you is to watch Doraemon or Pokemon, or maybe stick with American shows like Superman.

even though we can say we have different preferences, yours maybe what i don’t want to hear. ^^

>>Madoka Magica is the only good show airing this season and the rest is SHIT! understand!?<<

HA HA! Don't make me laugh. While true this season lacks in good anime Gosick and Onii-chan no Koto Nanka Zenzen Suki Janain Dakara ne!! are at least better at what they promise than that shit magical girl show Shaft has put out. Shit i'd rather watch Haruhi Season 2 80 times than watch another episode of Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica. Hell I'd rather watch Onepiece in reverse order than watch Madoka.

You are no different from him by saying that all other shows are shit compared to Madoka. Sure its good from what i hear but that doesn’t mean every other show automatically sucks cuz u like one show a lot more.

okay then stop looking outside of Japan and let the Japanese people tell you what they have been expecting every week to air, it’s Madoka, Japanese ain’t idiots, they know what a good show is because they’re the ones that make it. they won’t be hyped for some serious nonsense.

all i can picture of you is some kind of producer who is losing a battle in sales and is now trying to give raging shit about what’s causing his dilemma.

sorry dude, as implied in the world of Madoka, a miracle is worth a thousand despairs in return and you’re one miraculous rambling shit will receive tons of despair-causing nags from myself. ^^

Reasons why Madoka is the best show this season and you’re an idiot who probably couldn’t tell the difference in artistic mastery between the works of Leonardo DaVinci and a five-year-old’s crayon self portrait:

(WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS SPOILERS!)

*Edited. If it contains spoilers, please put it in spoiler tags. -Divine

1.) The animation is glorious. Most anime viewers seem to take for granted all the work that goes into making an anime. SHAFT has given us not only great looking character designs that suit the Mahou Shoujo part of the show and deceive you with the look of childish innocence, but an incredibly detailed and beautiful world to explore as well. From futuristic schools to the awe-striking destroyed city and wacky buildings from the first episode, the amount of detail put into the artwork is truly lovely. In particular, I thought that the alleys, fountain area, highway, and Homura’s house all looked spectacular. The battle animations are top notch too. While I admit that in the very beginning, the fight against the “SHAFT-y” witch was a little strange to watch, (since the witch looked…well…like SHAFT was smoking weed again…) the rest of the battles look wonderful. Mami’s endless muskets were extremely badass to watch while they lasted, and Sayaka’s silhouetted battle against the tree witch gave me a 2D samurai game-esque feel (as seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAWlcYR4J3Y&feature=related), and looked great. In particular, Kyouko’s battle with Sayaka was astounding. Something about two magical girls fighting each other instead of witches just looked completely awesome. Add all that with the cleverly created backgrounds with lighting and camera angles that create a perfect tone, and the realms of the witches that give a feeling of utter terror, and you have a masterpiece of artwork in animated form.

2.) The musical scores. Oh the musical scores! Music is an incredibly powerful element in anything that is animated. It can literally make or break a film or animation. Let’s take Yumiko Merry as an example of a musical score that BREAKS an animation. The action scenes seemingly have everything: cool character designs, good looking bosses, fluid animations for the fights…so why do they feel so mediocre? The answer is in the music; it’s just not exciting or suitable. The music just takes everything that was originally great and makes it dull.

Madoka does not make that mistake.

Right from the start, we are blown away by epic soundtrack. Piece after piece of intense, mood setting music is thrown at us, each just as good as or better than the last. Music is incredibly powerful in churning human emotions, and damn, does the soundtrack of Madoka do THAT! It isn’t the best soundtrack I’ve ever heard for an anime, (sorry, that title belongs to Cowboy Bebop) but it’s still amazing nonetheless.

3.) It bends the definition of the Mahou Shoujo genre as far as humanly possible. While yes, Puella Magi Madoka Magica is awesome and terrifying and something that will keep your eyes glued to your screen with your heart pounding in your chest, it also still manages to be a magical girl anime. Usually, the words “terrifying” and “magical girl anime” don’t ever occur in the same sentence (unless you’re talking about how terrifyingly bad can be sometimes…). The fact that SHAFT manages to make a show this great while still staying within the boundaries of a magical girl anime is just a testament to their skills. They managed to keep the vital things that made magical girl anime what it is, and twist everything else into something that is pure gold. They even added the “Running late for school with a piece of toast in the hero/heroine’s mouth” scene. They deserve major props for that alone!

4.) The plot is absorbing and unpredictable. It’s dark and foreboding, but it’s executed in such a way that you just have to keep on watching and hoping that there might be some shred of hope in the midst of all the horror. Starting with Mami’s death, things began to take a spiraling, sinister route. The whole thing with Mami’s death wasn’t just that a character died; it was the revelation that the characters wouldn’t be protected from that “main character invincibility,” and that they were seriously in danger of their lives whenever they fought. Mami’s death made all the viewers realize that SHAFT isn’t afraid to kill off the characters, and that alone is enough to keep your eyes glued to your screen.

Combine that possibility of death with all the mystery of it all, and you have a VERY interesting plot that (unsurprisingly) has millions of people hooked. There’s always another question to ask, and while everyone can form their theories, no one knows for sure what’s going to happen next. It’s that unpredictability that makes Madoka’s plot so great.

5.) Kyubei is Kyubei.

I think that if all those reasons above aren’t enough to call Madoka an amazing show, then I don’t know what is! It’s just a prime example of anime at its greatest. If you’ve seen it and don’t like it, fine, everyone has their own tastes. If you haven’t seen it all and think the concept of it is stupid, however, you’re doing yourself a great disservice by missing out on what I think is the greatest show this season by a long run, and one of the greatest shows I’ve ever watched.

I honestly just can’t understand how anyone could NOT like this show, unless they absolutely can’t stand anything with the slightest bit of scariness.

Wow that is one large comment above. ok majority of the people here loves SHAFT, and Madoka continuously deliver in terms on content, what I am worried right now is the ending. Not the ending of Madoka per se, but the trolls and bashers ready to explode trying to fault anything, trying to find a hole in the series and bash it. Thinking about it, Show Spoiler ▼

it made me laugh just trying to make sense of the bashers e.g. when it was confirmed that Homura is from the future, some people made rage on it saying that the series is predictable, etc, when in reality its not, its hinted already since the very beginning and its just a matter of confirming it. yet the bashers and trollers rolled and rolled. it makes good discussions become bad because the bashing becomes personal sometimes.

In all honesty, I don’t like SHAFT in the past, their art style, camera angle, SHAFT character poses, and their wall of text, those super eye/pupil close ups [e.g. sayonara setsubou sensei, ef series]— I find them all to weird. Only in Bakemonogatari did I finally appreciate all the weird style that they do and have a liking of it, then I tried other SHAFT series and become a fan of them I have the realization that amongst the anime studios out their, they have the most unique among all the unique styles, indeed you can safely say that SHAFT is SHAFT.

1. >>Animation is Glorious<<
Rebuttal – No it is not. there is a difference between animation and art style. you clearly can't tell the difference. While i do agree that the artsyle of the show is different, the animation is not up to par. If anything this actually take away from the animation "quality' (i use that term loosely here) that SHAFT is know for. The character designs however are nothing new. I've seen them several times before (Hedamari Sketch anyone?) Also, while the battle scenes may have their moments, the style they've been done in is also nothing new.

2. >>The Musical Scores<<
Rebuttal – I can't disagree more with this. The Musical score is mediocre at best. While all Music is opinionated by the person listening to them there are just some scores that just can't match a show, or vis versa. In Modaka's case it's the wrong score. Something simpler would have done alot better. Shaft tried too hard to make it sound better than it actually is. And as you said the music can either make or brake a show, well in this case you can't brake what is already broken. and if this is the "best" soundtrack you've ever heard form an anime series then you're probably new to anime. get another 6-7 years of anime watching under your belt and you'll see just how mediocre this anime's sound track is.

3. >>It bends the definition of the Mahou Shoujo genre as far as humanly possible.<<
Rebuttal – Sailor Moon did this 20 years ago thus making your statement invalid. while it did do the typical fighting monster every episode thing, it also had it's terrifying moments. If you'd watch the uncut version of Sailor Moon you'll see it can be just as violent at Modoka.

4. >>The plot is absorbing and unpredictable<<
Rebuttal – The Plot is boring and inconsistent. There is a difference between being unpredictable and inconsistent. while it tries to be "dark and foreboding" the inconsistent plot make for an annoying story that take alot of that away. Mami's death was comical ( i actually lol'd) cause i had seen this all before in a magical girl show called Sailor Moon. At the end of the 1st season they killed off all the other Sailor Scouts in horrific ways. Sailor Jupiter was blown to bits. Sailor Mercury was electrocuted to death. Sailor Venus was also blown up. And Sailor Mars was incinerated by her own attack. In Sailor Stars they were all killed off again to save the Earth. While true a decapitation death in Magical Girl series is new for most of us, having main character die horrifically like that wasn't anything new. Million's hooked? Ha! more like just a few thousand.

5. >>Kyubei is Kyubei<<
Rebuttal – what the hell does that have to do with anything? seriously An devil Familiar is nothing new to a magical series. and in my opinion i just can't see how anyone can watch this shitty show. While i will give SHAFT points for at least trying to think outside the the box when it comes to magical Girl anime, this show fails miserably at it by having an inconsistent boring plot, terrible characters and character design, Average animation style, and mediocre art. And the only reason why you people are still watching it is becasue you just wanna see who dies next. I say again that just shallow to watch the show for just that.

What does Kyubei being Kyubei have to do with anything? Well, obviously, it’s the fact that he’s a character that a viewer can seriously hate, and yet understand. He’s the perfect villian for a series like this: outwardly cute, but actually monsterous.

Since when has “it’s terrible” been a rebuttle? What about it is terrible? Do the designs not look good? Is the art rushed or lacking details? Why are the characters terrible? What makes it so bad? You can’t just say “it sucks” and then have your reasons for thinking so be “because it’s just bad.” While I have nothing against you having your own opinion, if you’re going to enforce your views on others, you should at least have some decent reasons for your remarks. Otherwise you’re just trolling.

Thanks for explaining yourself. Those are perfectly reasonable opinions you have, and since you’ve elaborated on them, I won’t argue with you.

I will admit, I’m a little new to anime. I’ve only been watching it for three years or so. Still, this show really stands out to me as being great, and I doubt that a few more years of watching anime will change that for me.

You don’t have to worry about being a newbie, I’ve been watching anime for more than 20 years now and I have watch a fair share of Mahou Shoujo animes, I’ve also watched Sailormoon way back in 1993 or was it 1994? Dunno, I believe I’m a 10 year old back so I can’t really remember all the details but the things is I remember that something bad did happen to them but they all return to normal, then the last Mahou Shoujo that I have watched is Cardcaptor Sakura. I’m surprise myself that Mahou Shoujo despite being Mahou Shoujo could still be enjoyable despite my age, probably that’s the reason why Puella Magi Madoka Magica holds a lot of meaning to me, when I thought I have already close my door to a genre I thought just for kids we have this — Let’s say its a revival of interest in a genre I once forgotten, now after this I’m sure to watch Nanoha and precure hahaha! lol

Thanks for your sympathy, actually I kinda felt pathetic myself getting all hype in a troll. While I’m no stranger to trolls and an active reader of forums for years. In fact, I’ve been visiting RC since ’09 when I discovered this site while I’m searching for articles about Bakemonogatari but in very rare accounts that I pose a comment, it was only recent that I become active in posing comments thanks to Madoka and it wouldn’t be long before I saw myself commenting on other series as well. As a newbie it will probably take a while before I get used to it and ignore trolls as is.

Don’t know if people will disagree with me or not but IMO the main reason why IS is so popular now is because of Charlotte. Im definitely voting for her in the Saimoe tourney but if its between her and Misaka, sorry but misaka wins.

As for beelzebub, im disappointed at how they add stupid extra humor in comparison to the manga, and what got me angry was how they gave Aois short haired body guard a high-pressure water gun rather than the BBs she was supposed to have. Its funny but again extra unnecessary humor

Actually, I think it is a fact that Charlotte hold the series up from the abyss. I mean, all the other girls that were introduced before Charlotte becomes somewhat unbearable with their routine antics (well, Cecilia is an exception for having the same voice actress as CC). The Male lead’s character is crashing down faster than a plane crash doesnt help either. Then you got Charlotte in the show with all of her goodness. Well, there also Laura also, but I personally cant like her due to her first impression.

@ Takaii
What do you mean you’re glad you did not read the manga? Is it because after reading it, it makes you very disappointed at how the anime version of it is? Haha.

Anyway, this season so far have been freaking great! It’s probably the best so far from what I remembered. I watched almost all the shows up there (except for Hourou Musuko and Wolverine) and find that all of them are really entertaining.

About IS, I don’t know but beside Charlotte I thought everything was really good too. So it’s not that only Charlotte that makes it so awesome but to me everything was very well executed even if it’s very cliche. Or is that just me?

This season had a good selection of animes but there wasnt any must watch animes likes saraiya Goyou (from last season). Every anime this season was medicore for me :(. Maybe it could change after KnT ebds lets see. Great job with this guys, keep it up.

It’s funny how me and Takaii have not only similar tastes but also similar notes:
- I too find Charlotte to be very attractive for the very same reasons, and currently she is the main driving force for me to watching this series.
- I felt very heavy for poor Sayaka chan (last time had feelings of this magnitude was for Hideo Kuze of GITS 2nd Gig). And also found it very unexpectedly that some people wanted her to die, and even described her very rudely (not sure these description even fit a 15 old year girl). I even couldn’t enter the discussion for how mind blowing where some of the offensive comments whose commentators seemed both beyond reason and ethics.
- I too have the Victorique-addiction syndromes.
- While Fractal is one of my favorites too, I like it more for the reasons that Divine mentioned.

- Mahou shojo Madoka, I never watch this kind of show and maybe i will ty to watch it later.

- As for Infinite Stratos always in my Top Priority every week, well… I guess I dont care about the plot, Harem, generic and clingy heroine characters as long as the show entertain me over 9000 level with enough dose of mecha action and Charlotte LOL ^_^

- I still watch Bakuman, GOSICK, Star Driver, Kimi no todoke, To aru majutsu season 02 and Level E but Lately i cannot catch with the latest episodes because my work and College life :(

- Well at last I found Oniichan no koto very amusing BUT slightly disturbed with YAOI scene, Nipples massages sometimes Burned My Eyes ;P

Reading the comments above about how many views each Post get… Have you writers ever thought about just how much power u guys have. e.g. the way you guys write might influence people’s opinion on a show etc…

anyway, my pointless non-anime related comment aside… thanks for the hard work for providing us with screenshots and comments :D much appreciated. You guys worked harder for anime than I have for my degree… *hat off*.. especially divine O_o you watched like every show…. write about them and balance them along with your everyday life… the amount of discipline…. i could do with some of that…

Boy, this season is like sci-fi heavens for three months. I have dropped FreeZing after the second episode, and then given up on Dragon Crisis around the fourth. Index II, Infinite Stratos, Zoombie, Yukimeri, Level E, and Fractale continue to be entertaining. But Magica is undoubtedly in a class of its own– at least for this season. (Well, I guess you can argue whether Magic is sci-fi. But its futuristic setting and themes on alternate timelines should be enough to justify its sci-fi status.)

I like anime girls who are nice and kind but also have a mature grasp on relationships and know how to handle them. Like Kyo, Ryo, and Tomoyo from Clannad when they saw Tomoya defend Nagisa and they realized he was in love with her they didn’t bit his head off or scream at him or start a “we will destory Nagisa for taking Tomoya away from us” club did they? no. Why because they are all mature and accepting enough to see Tomoya happy even it wasn’t with them. Being mature doesn’t equal perfection, I don’t why some anime fans think passive anime girls are “perfect” just because they don’t lost their temper, snap at people, get jealous or blow things up with a weapon. Some anime girls aren’t meant to be the “tough action hero” and shouldn’t try to be. The reason I brought this whole thing up is because on other blogs I always hear complaining about the anime industy need more tough go-get-em type girls inorder to write good characters just because she can punch a guy through a wall or use a revolver. Sorry for my rambling.

Try watching shows like Dennou Coil, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, EVE no Jikan [I recommend the movie version] and you will know its not dead. Their are a lot of good animes in every season if you will just look around, the many great ones are found all year long, while the outstanding ones are found years in between [that's why they are called oustanding in the first place]. Learn to do the basics in case you have all already forgotten and you will find that anime is here to live.

if your looking for the next big one, its madoka magica. you need to check up to ep 3 before you decide to drop it. theres no fanservice in it or “onii-chan” incest.
the only reason people dont like it is because they dont appreciate the art style of it.

It’s ironic how you mention “lack of merit” because you’re coming in with an opinion you probably had before hand and making a pretty bold statement without any merit. You’re not being very objective about what you’re saying either, and for all we know, you didn’t even watch any of the current series past their first episode.

I sometimes wonder if people really aren’t aware of how they come off when they make comments like this. This is like walking into a busy store and declaring to everyone there that all the merchandise sucks. Ask yourself how many people will be bothered to hear you out.

Probably one of the reason IS becoming popular is because it shares the same airing time with Madoka. After your mind got blown, Watching IS felt like a dose of effective neutralizer. I believe lots of people who watched both shows would go Madoka -> IS watching order.

Best girls of the season is coming from IS and Zombie : Charlotte and Tomonori, both are cute blonde tomboy with VA I currently like the most, had reverse trap status although short, came much later in the shows but kinder than the rests of the respective harem to the point they’re like a 1×1 meter spotlight of sunshine amidst heavy storm.

Madoka and Zombie has quite some funny relations as well. They’re almost like an inversion of each other :
- The first shatters out every cliches, the latter absorbs all kind of cliches
- Show Spoiler ▼

Well i will be the first to say things strike me oddly, never got into KnT even when im a decent fan of most school romance animes, nor am i very big on anything mecha though IS amuses me since i focus on most everything else, which is amusing in a way cause i rather enjoy the topic of robotics and such. This is merely leading in a way to excuse my probly rare view of madoka where i got instantly interested and then stopped watching after the first episode, but im not posting this to irritate or anything. I actually have an honest question about it. What got me interested was the dark cityscape at the beginning of ep 1 which wasnt too horribly abstract and gave a feeling of epic dark scope, contrasted well with the bright middle part but the ending art just made me feel weird watching it. Once again not bashing the anime just saying its not my cup of tea. However i did idly view the coverage of it here and must have missed it but im sure there is another scene where it gives the same sort tone or feel (sorry not that great at descriptive wording so early in the morning) if so i wouldnt mind watching that ep to catch that, because that moment was awesome to me. So if anyone could point me to that ep let me know cause couldnt find one in screen caps i would appreciate it, would almost try watching it through to find it but like i said somehow the other abstract stuff bugs me for some reason.

And yes i know my tastes are odd, usually i get a simple kick from the cliche material everyone else is tired of. Not downing any series in the least but if ppl feel strongly enough to any assumed bashing i guess go ahead and say so, i guess will teach me to word thing more clearly in the future heh

The best way to cure someone’s curiosity is to have it experience first hand. In your case you have already watched Bakemonogatari so I guess watching Madoka pass ep1 is a lot more easier. The good thing about Madoka is the absence of Flashing text, which when I first watch Bakemonogatari and in a lesser extent SZS, I have to pause every time such a thing appears only to read what’s in it (thanks to gg’s awesome dedication to translate every bit of it). So to sum things up, Madoka is everything that defines a SHAFT style of animation minus the obvious – flashing text.

I’ve also noticed that there aren’t any random eye close-ups or huge, uninteresting monologues of philosophical text. Taking that away seems to make the show better. SHAFT also didn’t do this in Maria Holic, but of course, no one watched that…DDDx

well some of their other stuff wasnt too bad at all like the original negima thingy, moon phase, bakemonogatari, and the vamp bund one, just something about the abstract clash just is disconcerting in this one. Thanks for lettin me know though, appreciate it boss

im kinda surprised vampire bund is “not bad”, it was the only SHAFT anime that wasnt good to say the least.
well, since you like those, its a good idea to check it out again. the story fleshes out more the dark parts after ep 3.

I don’t think it’s uncommon for there to be double standards on how male and female characters behave. For example, I imagine more people would tolerate a bratty girl longer than they would a bratty guy.

I finally catched up with the latest episode of Fractale (ep6), after watching it I said to myself “how I wish the director or whoever that person is didn’t hype this series at all.” The good points first: The concept is good, the characters are great (Nessa is my favorite character), the musical scores are nice to listen, the art style/visuals is appealing. Now the bad point/s: The series is trying to portray some very serious tone or theme while trying very hard to make it ‘still’ feel very light-heartening, slice-of-life, even comedic at best e.g. In the final half of ep6 when that old man with camera wanted to reveal to Clain the other ‘bad’ side of the anti-fractale faction, granted it gives a shock to Clain and runs back to the old man, while he denounce their actions, he defended that “the guys I know isn’t like them” the setting quickly change and Clain is blushing and happy on that old guy’s present to him, while the scene prior to that was completely forgotten. I wish they explore more on the scene with the anti-fractale group but instead what I saw was a blushing Clain.

I can’t believe the director who hype his own work is messing a great series!

Good moves for switching the reviewed animes.
Big thanks for covering Madoka. I can’t stomach it anymore and sshots help.
There’s a limit to everyone. I’m not saying that I don’t like it. I’m saying that I’m weak to it.

I cant keep up with all these animes. I have seriously only watched the first 2 eps of the new animes I thought would be good. I find myself only continuing to watch the animes that were showing since last year which is pretty much just Bakuman, ToaruIndex and One Piece. I Still have to watch the latest 2 breakblade movies, along with the haruhi, gintama, gundam00, durarara ep 25 and black lagoon ova 3. After all that free time in the summer after grad then finally getting into starting life with work…They are so piling up in my hard drive now lol.
Amazing how you guys even manage to blog while watching many other anime and do work at the same time!

Why’s everyone fighting over what’s GOOD anyway? There’s something called ‘preference’ that everyone has. For example, i Love kore ha zombie desuka, and hate madoka. Does that make me stupid? Nope. Let people watch they like. Leave ‘em alone. ‘Gotta say that i’ll cringe if Madoka becomes a trend. I’ll watch less anime each season and get traumatized every season. (Yes, i got traumatized by madoka, even dropped it halfway. Never done that before madoka).

No one is fighting on what is good or what is bad, the purpose of this site is to express your opinions and hear other opinions, when you pose a comment which made it available for everyone to read, it means you have already consented to what it may imply — being criticize. That’s why being sensitive to others is very important in here, usually everything is all good until someone else pose troll or hate pose.

For me, this is a very impressive Winter Season. So many good shows that i can barely keep track on half on them. I can understand, however, why so many people present the same complaint about bad seasons. Many great shows these years have a very specific appeal, so less “versatile” preferences should find difficult to understand what is so good about some of these animes.

Trolloka Magika and Mitsudomoe Zouryouchuu (am i the only one who absolutely loved the first episode?) are my favorites. Since Mitsudomoe is over, i can only hope Kimi ni Todoke compensates for teasing the fans so much. It problably will, given its potential.

IS couldn’t have a better time slot. It ts a great contrast with Trolloka Magika, a much needed light hearted relief. The show itself is surprisingly fun to watch and Charlotte is by far one of the best characters this season. In fact, i think the show would be better if it had less girls (Charlotte and Laura would be more than enough).

Since the blog (and about everyone) praises “Kore wa Zombie Desuka?”, i must ask: does it get better? The first episode showed some potential, however, the bullying against the main character was too much for me, as it totally overshadowed the comedy.

I was looking at that today too! I was under the impression that it was currently airing. Divine said that he’d watch it but the odds he’d blog about it were poor. So I have a hunch he’d put it in with the monthly updates. :]